I travelled to Mostar from Sarajevo by car and stayed in the city for one night. The drive offered beautiful scenery along the way, although some sections of the road were quite narrow.
After arriving in Mostar and settling into my accommodation, I took a short rest before heading out to explore the city. My accommodation was only around a ten-minute walk from the historic centre, so I could easily discover Mostar on foot.
Discovering Mostar Old Town
I started exploring around Mostar Old Town, visiting some of the historical and cultural places I had planned to see.
Among my stops were the Herzegovina Museum, Museum of War and Genocide Victims, Kajtaz House and Muzej Stari most. These places offered different perspectives on Mostar’s history and heritage.
I also visited some of the city’s important religious landmarks, including Karađjoz Beg Mosque and Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque.
The old town itself was one of the most enjoyable parts of the walk. I wandered through Kujundžiluk Bazar, with its narrow streets and traditional atmosphere, before reaching the symbol of the city: Old Bridge Mostar.
Old Bridge Mostar
Seeing the Old Bridge and the Neretva River together was one of the most memorable views of my time in Mostar. The historic buildings, stone streets and river create the distinctive scenery that the city is known for.
While I was around the bridge, I also had the chance to witness Mostar’s famous bridge-diving tradition. A diver stood high above the Neretva while people gathered around to watch. After collecting money from the crowd, he finally jumped from the bridge into the river below.
I continued walking around the old town and also visited the Crooked Bridge, another beautiful historic bridge in Mostar.
The city was very crowded that day, and the summer weather was extremely hot. After walking around for several hours, I returned to my accommodation and rested before going out again later.
Exploring More of the City
During my walk around Mostar, I also visited Franjevačka Crkva u Mostaru and explored streets beyond the main tourist area.
I visited the Sniper Tower, one of the places that still reflects the marks left on Mostar by the war. Seeing these reminders while walking through the city created a strong contrast with the busy and beautiful streets around the Old Bridge.
I also intended to visit Fortica Hill, where the elevated location offered another perspective of Mostar and its surroundings. I hope to visit another time there.
Walking through different parts of Mostar showed me that there is much more to the city than its famous bridge. Historic buildings, religious landmarks, museums, traces of the war and everyday modern life all exist close to one another.
Blagaj the Following Day
The following day, I visited Blagaj.
Blagaj was one of the places that impressed me not only because of its natural beauty but also because of its spiritual atmosphere. The area around Blagaj Tekke (Blagaj Tekija) was especially memorable.
The tekke sits beside the water, surrounded by impressive cliffs and rocks. The combination of the water, the huge rock formations and the historic building created a unique atmosphere.
For me, there was also something spiritually moving about being there. I spent time walking around the area and took many photographs of the tekke, the water and the surrounding landscape.
While enjoying the scenery, I also had a glass of fresh pomegranate juice. Sitting among the cliffs and beautiful natural surroundings made it one of those simple moments from the journey that I still remember clearly.
My Mostar Experience
Spending one night in Mostar allowed me to experience many different sides of the city.
From Old Bridge Mostar, Kujundžiluk Bazar and Crooked Bridge to its mosques, churches, museums and traces of the war, Mostar felt like a city where different periods of history remain visible at the same time.
Visiting Blagaj the following day added a completely different feeling to the experience. While Mostar was lively, historic and crowded, Blagaj felt calmer and more spiritual, surrounded by water and dramatic cliffs.
Together, Mostar and Blagaj became a memorable part of my journey through Bosnia and Herzegovina.
